Newark Reporter

A Trinidadian and Tobagonian man who has been a fugitive for over 10 years has been arrested and will face charges in connection with the armed robbery of a steakhouse in 2009, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

Kofi Edwards, 51, of Trinidad and Tobago, was charged by indictment in 2014 with one count of conspiracy to commit armed Hobbs Act robbery, one count of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Edwards appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court today, entered a plea of not guilty, and was detained. He was arrested in California and had an initial appearance on July 10, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Chi Soo Kim in Sacramento. He was detained and transported to the District of New Jersey.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In March 2009, Edwards conspired with other individuals to rob a steakhouse restaurant in Woodbridge, New Jersey, at gunpoint. A conspirator who was an employee of the restaurant at the time called the restaurant to determine if any managers were present because he knew that only managers would be able to open the restaurant’s safe. After confirming that a manager was present, Edwards and another individual entered the restaurant—Edwards carrying a fake gun and the other individual armed with a firearm—and brandished the weapons while demanding that employees open the safe. After the employees complied, Edwards and the other individual bound them with plastic zip ties and fled with approximately $150,000 in cash.

Edwards later left New Jersey and began living under a false identity. He was added to the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list, which offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading directly to his arrest. Three other defendants have been convicted and sentenced concerning the Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy.

Edwards faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on counts of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and Hobbs Act robbery. On the count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, Edwards faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of seven years—which must run consecutively to any other sentence he receives—and a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment. Each count also carries fines up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from offenses.

These charges are part of an investigation by the Newark Central Jersey Safe Streets Task Force led by FBI agents alongside task force officers from various local police departments including New Brunswick Police Department; Middlesex County Prosecutors Office; Raritan Township Police Department; Woodbridge Police Department; Hackettstown Police Department; Clinton Township Police Department; Hunterdon County Prosecutors Office.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents from these agencies under Special Agent James E Dennehy (Newark) for their role leading up-to-charges against Edward alongside acknowledgment towards Sacramento's Field Office headed by Siddhartha Patel & Immigration Customs Enforcement Enforcement Removal Operations directed John Tsoukaris

The government is represented by Assistant U.S Attorney Trevor A Chenoweth General Crimes Unit Newark

"The charges allegations contained indictment merely accusations defendant presumed innocent unless until proven guilty."